


Not My Brother's Keeper

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [266]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Sam Leaves Dean, dean negative, post s10, s10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 02:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8352487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: Nothing says they have to handle the Darkness together.





	

Hunting the Darkness is a priority, but there’s nothing that says they have to do it _together_.

Honestly, two heads might even be better than one. And with Dean, it would only ever be one head, and the “shut up and listen” role occupied by Sam, hanging right behind him.

They make it back to the Bunker once the Darkness escapes entirely. Sam steps out of the Impala, gathers the few most important things, then gets the keys for an old pickup and leaves.

It’s not like the Bunker was ever home anyways. He’s sad to lose the library, but books can be found pretty widely. What they managed to salvage of Bobby’s is pretty decent, and hidden up at Rufus’ cabin. Dean doesn’t control that space.

So, Sam sets his sights up north, determined to lie low while his body heals and get some research started.

The first day he arrives, he sleeps for fifteen hours, his body giving in to absolute exhaustion. It’s not like he’s slept well in a long time. Besides that, his body is beat to hell and needs some rest to heal.

Then he makes himself research though. Sam didn’t leave Dean so he could slack off. He left because he finally realizes his brother calling him selfish, and demanding Sam die, and beating him half to death, isn’t okay. It’s the cherry on top of a pile of not okay things, and Sam is done.

On day four, a half-broken looking angel arrives, appearing in the musty old bed, vessel looking drained.

Sam gets the story out of him. Rowena cursed him, and it took him by surprise. He’s an angel, his grace is strong, but it’s pretty strongly historically proven that angels are susceptible to mind control. He fought it off, but it took a while, and it nearly beat him.

But he’s here, with Sam, and recovering. It takes him almost two hours to get to the question Sam knows is coming. “Where’s Dean?”

“Not here.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know. Not my job to keep an eye on him.”

“You left him,” Cas says. It is not in any way a question.

“Yeah.”

“How could you, Sam?” he asks, plaintively. “Your brother is recovering from the Mark of Cain. He needs you–”

“And I need to not be called evil and selfish, or beaten half to death, or told to shut up and fall in line!” Sam says. “I don’t need to sit around and listen to him deliberately _not_  apologize. And I don’t need to–Cas, this isn’t new behavior. This isn’t just from the Mark. I’m just finally done with it.”

“He’s your brother, Sam,” Cas says after a moment. “You two have been through so much. Surely you can–”

“No,” Sam says abruptly. “I can’t. I won’t. And it’s not fair to ask me that.”

“You two chose each other,” Cas presses.

“Cas,” Sam says, voice tight, “if you were really my friend, you wouldn’t ask this. But you’ve always been Dean’s friend first, haven’t you?” He sighs. “I’m going out. We’re low on food. I’ll be back in a few hours. If you’re still here, you don’t argue with my decision. If you don’t agree with me, you know where the Bunker is.”

Sam gets his coat and leaves. He feels bad, abandoning the hurt angel, but it’s time for him to realize that his own health and safety need to take some sort of priority. No one is going to talk him into going back, not even an angel.


End file.
